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Psalms 80:17 NLT Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice.
Sometimes, we have so much going on until it feels like our strength has been depleted. Between managing the household, working, taking the children to extracurricular activities, and serving at church, fatigue can set in.
When we’re in need of strength, we can pray this simple prayer above. The good news for us under the new covenant is strength has already been made available through Christ. As we pray for strength, by faith, we can receive strength and strength will be ours (Mark 11:24).
This also works when sickness is attacking our health. We can rely on God’s strength to overcome any fatigue due to sickness.
Don’t let fatigue dominate. Pray for and expect God’s strength every day.
#strengthened #through #Christ #Jesus #empowered
Psalms 79:8 NLT Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors! Let your compassion quickly meet our needs, for we are on the brink of despair.
Prior to Jesus, people had to deal with generational curses and answer for the sins of their ancestors. If their grandfather sinned in one area, they had to deal with the wrath of God for that sin and hope they don’t fall into that same trap.
Unfortunately, this belief has continued after the cross. What a lot of people still can’t comprehend is all the areas Jesus impacted after His sacrifice and resurrection.
1. Jesus’s sacrifice paid the price for past, present, and future sins (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 9:28). If He paid the price for sin, we don’t have to pay it.
2. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, God vowed not to count our sins against us (Romans 4:8). This includes the previous sins of our ancestors and the sins that some of us still deal with today. God is not charging any sins to our account.
3. God isn’t punishing us for our sins. The wrath of God for sin was put on Jesus (Romans 5:8-9). Sin still has natural consequences, but God isn’t punishing us for sin.
4. Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection allow anyone who believes to be a part of the family of God (Romans 8:14-17). This means we’re not bound by the sin tendencies of our earthly family.
Let’s not dwell on the sins of our ancestors or the sins we may deal with today. Let’s be grateful for Jesus who dealt with the power of sin and the spiritual consequences associated with sin.
#made #righteous #through #Jesus #Christ #free #from #sin
Psalms 78:4, 6-7 NLT We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders.
6 so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children. 7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting His glorious miracles and obeying His commands.
Our responsibility as believers is to tell the next generation about the goodness of God and what to expect from God.
The reason why a lot of us aren’t seeing miracles is because we’re not expecting miracles. One reason we’re not expecting miracles is because we were never told about actual miracles from previous generations.
Anytime God does something big in our houses, that should be headlining news. We should tell our spouses, our parents, and our children. Even if our children can’t fully grasp the magnitude of the miracle, we can allow them to share in our joy that God did something awesome in our lives. That joy will set them on a course to expect God to perform the miraculous in their own lives.
Plant the seed of expectancy from God for the next generation.
#share #expect #receive #miracles #God #Jesus #loves
Psalms 77:11-12 NLT But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
When we’re in a difficult situation, Satan likes to bombard our thoughts with that problem. If we dwell on it long enough, that mountain will get bigger and bigger each day. That problem will consume our thoughts and turn into fears.
At the same time, the Holy Spirit will remind us of what God’s done. He’ll remind us of how God dealt with the last “big problem.” He’ll show us how He turned something major into something minor.
The Holy Spirit will also remind us of what God said in His word. He’ll remind us that nothing is too hard for God and all things are possible through Him (Jer. 32:27; Mark 9:23). This is why it’s so important to study God’s word in order to have it inside our hearts (Ps. 119:11).
When difficulties happen, don’t dwell on them. Instead, embrace God’s word and trust that it has the power to change any circumstance.
#magnify #the #Word #Jesus #trust #God
Psalms 76:5 NLT Our boldest enemies have been plundered. They lie before us in the sleep of death. No warrior could lift a hand against us.
The enemy, Satan, uses different situations to try and get us down. He’ll use a disgruntled boss, car problems, irritable spouses, ants in our houses, or children with bad attitudes to steal our joy.
Since God is on our side, we don’t have any reason to worry or fear. No weapon that is formed against us will prosper. We will silence every accusation against us. We will be vindicated by God (Isaiah 54:17). God has provided a victorious solution to every situation we face.
Don’t let the enemy get you down. He and his tactics have already been defeated. Stay connected to God’s word and be led by the Holy Spirit, and we’ll experience victory in every area of our lives.
#victory #is #ours #through #Christ #Jesus
Psalms 75:1 NLT We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.
We don’t have to shout our prayers. We don’t need a holy person to go to God for us. God is near. God is closer to us than breath.
God will never leave us, so there’s no need to sing, “Do not pass me by.” Although it’s truly stated in the bible, requesting God not to take His presence from us isn’t a statement of truth. His presence will always be with the believer. And, contrary to some religious teachings, our sin doesn’t drive God away. If we’re born-again, He will always be with us.
Knowing that He’s near, give your cares, concerns, and issues to Him and know that He’ll handle anything we go through. God is near to His children.
#God #is #with #us #His #children
Psalms 74:12 NLT You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth.
God promised salvation to all the earth. This salvation is not limited to the elect or the 144,000 Israelites. Salvation is available for all.
We receive salvation by openly declaring Jesus Christ as Lord and believing God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
There is no other way we can be saved. It’s not by our good works. It’s not through obeying the teachings of another leader. It’s through Jesus alone that we are saved.
Once we get saved, it’s our responsibility to share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone (Mark 16:15). Some may accept, others may reject, but no one can say they’ve never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Praise God for desiring everyone to receive salvation.
#Jesus #saves #receive #salvation #through #JesusChrist
Psalms 73:3-5 NLT For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
David was like many of us. We see those who could care less about God or keeping His ways prosper and seemingly have successful lives. Meanwhile, it appears those who love the Lord have to endure and work hard for the basics.
We must understand and remember it won’t always be this way. Psalm 73:19 says this about the unrighteous:
Psalms 73:19 NLT In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.
They may have fame, fortune, riches, and wealth, but if they don’t repent, they’ll ultimately be destroyed. Their wealth won’t help them in hell. Also, they may be outwardly successful, but they may not have peace, joy, or contentment.
Meanwhile, the trajectory of the righteous is upward. Job 8:7 says, and though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. Psalms 91:16 says, “I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalms 112:1-3 says, “How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.”
We shouldn’t envy the unrighteous. If we have faith in what God said, we too can be blessed and have health, wealth, and satisfaction for us and our children while remaining righteous because of Jesus Christ.
Finally, at the end of this life, the wealth the wicked we’re seeking will be at the feet of the righteous in heaven (Rev. 21:21). Praise God that the righteous can have inward and outward success.
#peace #joy #prosperity #health #in #Christ #made #us #righteous #praise #God
Psalms 72:15 NLT Long live the king! May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long.
We should pray for our leaders and for those in authority. We may not have kings like they did, but the concept is still the same. This includes presidents, people in congress, governors, mayors, judges, police officers, and even teachers. If they have any type of authority over us, our children, or our country, we should be praying for them. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 also instructs us to pray for people in authority.
What should we pray? The beginning of Psalms 72 provides some insight.
Verse 1 – Pray that those in authority have God’s love of justice.
Verse 2 – Pray that they keep the poor in mind and that they’re treated fairly.
Verse 4 – Pray that they have the wisdom of God to handle anyone who is attacking their country or the people being oppressed in their country.
Verse 5 – Pray that every leader reverences and honors God.
We may not agree with everything our leaders do, but instead of talking bad about them and the decisions they make, pray that they have the wisdom of God and they’re led by the Holy Spirit. Pray!!!
#pray #for #our #country #leaders
Psalms 71:11-14 NLT They say, “God has abandoned him. Let’s go and get him, for no one will help him now.” O God, don’t stay away. My God, please hurry to help me. Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers. Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me. But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more.
When David was going through a rough time in his life, regardless of what he was going through, he made a decision to keep on praising.
When some of us face life’s challenges, we emotionally separate ourselves from God. We reduce or completely stop praising and worshipping Him, we minimize our communication with Him, or we stop going to church. It’s like we’re mad at God for allowing us to go through difficulties.
Instead of minimizing our interaction with God, we should press in more. By increasing our prayers, praise, and worship, we tell ourselves, the devil, and others who we’re depending on during these difficulties, to keep on praising, praying, and trusting God regardless of how life looks. He’s the only one who can turn tragedy into triumph.
#keepon #praising #God #Father
Psalms 70:1 NLT Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
Sometimes in life, we just don’t know what to do. When those times come, we can go to God for help. Whenever we ask God for help, He will. It doesn’t matter if we haven’t talked to Him in years. If we ask for His help, He will help us.
He’ll help in any area of our lives. If we need financial help, He’ll help with that. If we need spiritual understanding of the scriptures, He’ll help with that. If we need help in our marriages, He’ll help with that too. Whatever we give Him access to, He’ll help.
Now, when we ask for help, we must be ready for His solutions. Historically, His solutions have been illogical and odd. But if we want the best results, we’ll trust Him and follow His instructions.
Go to God for His help and thank Him in advance for His solutions.
#God #is #my #help
Psalms 69:16 NLT Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful.
As long as we’re alive and in some cases temporarily dead, we’ll experience the mercy of God. God’s mercy is when we don’t experience the punishment we deserve.
ALL OF US should be punished daily for breaking God’s commands. We’ve lied, cheated, lusted, were judgmental, etc. We should have been punished, but because of God’s mercy, through Jesus, we don’t get the punishment we deserve. All of our punishment was placed on Jesus. We may have natural consequences for our wrongdoing, but none of us will experience the wrath of God.
The only way we’ll experience God’s punishment is if we’re not born-again. Be sure to be born-again by believing the Lord Jesus died for your sins. Once born-again, God’s mercy is abundant and wonderful.
#plentiful #mercy #abundant #unfailing #love
Psalms 68:5-6 NLT Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
We now understand the importance of a father and a family, but God, our Creator, voiced this importance through David thousands of years ago.
When we don’t have a present father or a loving family, most people have emotional or psychological issues. They may suffer from depression, they may join gangs to have a sense of family, engage in premarital sex to have a sense of love, or stay in abusive relationships to keep the family intact.
These issues aren’t God’s will for us, which is why He made Himself to be Father to the fatherless, and He strategically placed people around us to be a substitute family. They may not be our biological family, but we can benefit from them just the same, if not more.
Even if you’re older, allow God to be the father you always needed and accept the family He’s placed around you. The earlier we can accept the Father and family He provided, the better off we’ll be.
#God #our #Father
Psalms 67:6 NLT Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us.
What will cause the earth to yield a harvest and cause God to richly bless us? If we look at the previous verses, we will find our answer.
Verses 3 and 4 say, “may the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. Let the whole world sing for joy….”
Verse 5 reiterates verse 3, saying, “may the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.”
We can conclude that our praise will cause the earth to yield its harvests and God to richly bless us. How? Genuine praise is attached to faith. It takes faith to praise God for something that hasn’t happened yet. Before we see the manifestation of our bodies being healed, the improvement of our finances, or our children behaving correctly, we should praise God. We’re praising Him because we know it’s worked out. Our praise is evidence of who we believe in and what we believe He made available for us.
Give God praise before the manifestation takes place and after it comes to pass. Our praise is important.
#dontwait #praise #God #now
Psalms 66:2 NLT Sing about the glory of His name! Tell the world how glorious He is.
If we mention the goodness of God, and for some, that’s a big if, it’s usually to other believers. But here it says we should tell the world how glorious God is.
With this in mind, we should tell anyone who is willing to listen about what God has done for us. Tell them how He delivered you from depression and pornographic addiction. Tell them how He blessed your children to be successful in college. Tell them about how He healed your body by the stripes of Jesus. Tell them how He blessed you with that job you weren’t qualified for.
Some may think we’re bragging or boasting about our lives. We’re actually boasting about the One who bettered our lives (Psalms 34:2).
Hopefully, this will inspire the listener to establish their relationship with God or deepen their relationship with God. Either way, God is glorified, and His goodness is being spread across the land.
#glorify #God
Psalms 65:3 NLT Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.
For those who are actually trying to live godly, sin can literally drive a person insane. We’re doing everything we know to do to live righteously, but because we are in this flesh, we miss the mark. Satan is ready to throw those sins in our faces and tell us how low we should feel. Often, people give up on this Christian life because they feel like they can never get it right.
However, when we truly realize we’re forgiven of every single sin in our past, present, and future, Satan can’t use our shortcomings as a weapon. Of course, we’ll still want to live right, but we won’t feel guilty because we had a bad attitude with this person or lied about something. We’ll accept the forgiveness that’s been made available through Christ Jesus and move on.
Don’t let sin overwhelm you and make you feel guilty. Understand every sin has been taken care of by Jesus Christ.
#accept #forgiveness #through #Christ #forgiven #free
Psalms 64:8 NLT Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
David was referring to his enemies when making this statement. However, this is a principle that can be applied to all.
When our speech is negative, filled with doubt, and hurtful to ourselves and others, we’ll reap what we say. We can negate any prayer or dream we have for ourselves and others with our words.
If we say I always get sick, that’s exactly what we’ll be. If we say a certain thing “never works,” we’ll have what we say. If we say our children are bad, lazy, or irritating, that’s what they’ll be.
Our speech is powerful (Prov. 18:21). It can create or destroy anything in our lives. Even inanimate objects like our yards or cars can be impacted by our words. Don’t ruin the things God has for you with negative words. Speak positive, speak life, and speak the truth, which is God’s word.
#speak #life #light #positivity #powerfulwords
Psalms 63:4-5 NLT I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.
As long as we live, we should praise the Lord. We don’t praise Him when everything is going well. We praise Him all the time because there’s always a reason to give Him praise.
Sickness could be attacking our health, but we’re still alive, and that’s a reason to praise Him. We could have lost our jobs, but we still have food, water, and shelter. That’s a reason to praise Him. We could’ve lost a child, but we can thank God that our child is in heaven.
Our flesh may not want to praise God because of the circumstances, but there’s always a reason to praise the Lord.
PRAISE HIM!!!
#praise #the #Lord
Psalms 62:5 NLT Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.
Everything we need or desire in life can be found in the Lord. It’s not in our government, the stocks, our spouse, our children, or our jobs. It’s not even in us. Our hope for everything should be placed solely in God.
As we hope and wait on God’s promises to manifest, we should wait quietly. We shouldn’t complain while we wait or cry out in frustration while we wait. We should wait quietly with the assurance that God will accomplish His word. It may not be our timing, but His timing is better.
When the manifestation of what we hoped for finally happens, we can give all the credit to God and shout verse seven.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
#hope #in #God #alone
Psalms 61:5 NLT For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
Through Jesus Christ, we, too, have received an inheritance from God. Ephesians 1:11 says, furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan. Verse 14 says the Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.
An inheritance is when we receive something that is usually given to us by a family member. When we make Jesus Lord and Savior, we’re in the family of God. Since we’re in the family of God, through Christ, God gives us so many wonderful things for our inheritance.
A few examples of our inheritance include eternal life, a relationship with God, a new nature, sins forgiven, angelic access (1 Peter 1:4, Ephesians 3:6, Hebrews 1:14, Hebrews 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Receive and praise God for our inheritance that we have through Christ.
#inheritance #through #Christ
Psalms 60:12 NLT With God’s help we will do mighty things, for He will trample down our foes.
When we rely on God’s help, we will do mighty things. It’s not a possibility. It’s a certainty.
Mighty things include being at peace with people who were once our enemies, being a vessel for God to heal the sick, and finding a solution to “unsolvable” problems.
As we accomplish these mighty goals, be sure to give God the glory. If it wasn’t for His help, none of this would be possible. Let’s prepare our hearts and minds to do mighty things for His glory.
#with #God #we #can #do #great #things #forHisglory
Psalms 59:9 NLT You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.
Life can cause fatigue. As adults, we have so many responsibilities. There are so many hours of work, some people are in school, managing household chores, children, staying fit, as well as the mental effort of maintaining our peace. All of these things can cause us to be exhausted.
When we’re feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, by faith, we can receive the strength that God made available through Christ (Phil. 4:13). Since our words have power according to Proverbs18:21, we can simply say, “I receive the strength that you’ve made available through Christ to get through this day.” This will get us through those times of fatigue.
Don’t allow fatigue to destroy your day, week, or month. Receive supernatural strength that has been made available by God.
#renewal #rest #is #found #in #Christ #Jesus #God #restores #refuels #refreshes
Psalms 58:11 NLT Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”
God rewards us for living for Him. His rewards are found throughout His word.
Below are just a few examples of His rewards.
Life and Peace – Romans 8:6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
Long Life – Psalms 91:9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,…16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.
Safety – Proverbs 13:6 Live right, and you are safe! But sin will destroy you.
Prosperity – Job 36:11 And if they obey, they will be successful and happy from then on.
Wisdom – Proverbs 9:10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Don’t forfeit the rewards God has by living ungodly. When we deny our flesh the opportunity to be satisfied and we honor God with our lives, we’ll have a wonderful, peaceful, prosperous life.
#peace #prosperity #safety #success #wisdom #happiness #joy #found #in #Jesus #obey #God
Psalms 57:5 NLT Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.
God is to be exalted. God is to be put higher than anything else we have going in our lives. He is to be put higher than our spouse, our children, work, our finances, and entertainment. Nothing should come before Him.
So, if that means we have to delay a vacation to serve people in His Kingdom, so be it. If that means we have to use the money we were saving for a concert to sow into His Kingdom, that’s what we should do. If we’re instructed to stop watching football to study His word, let’s put Him first.
Every act of exaltation should be led by the Holy Spirit. He has no problem with us going on vacations, going to certain concerts, or watching football. But it is a problem if we put these things above Him.
Exalt God above everything and let His glory shine in the earth.
#exalt #God #magnify #Jesus #Lord
Psalms 56:3 NLT But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
Your child gets very sick.
You lose a job.
The news is speculating a terrorist attack.
The money you have can’t cover all your bills.
The doctor gives you a negative report.
Riding on the back of these issues listed above is fear. Fear will knock, but we can choose to ignore it and focus on God.
How do we do that? We ignore the facts and trust the truth in God’s word.
If our child gets sick, we can speak to the sickness in Jesus’s name and the sickness must go (John 14:13-14). If our finances are in trouble, we can rest knowing our needs are met (Phil4:19). If someone says a terrorist attack is headed our way, we can trust that His angels guard, defend, and protect us (Ps. 91:11-12).
When fear comes, focus on God’s word and trust that what He said will come to pass.
#focus #on #God #power #in #Jesus #Word #scripture
Psalms 55:22 NLT Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
A lot of believers conceptually understand giving our burdens to the Lord, but they don’t know how to practically give them to God.
Giving our burdens to the Lord means giving our cares, worries, and concerns to God and allowing Him to handle them. How do we do that? We take whatever concerns us in our thoughts and literally say, “God, I’m giving my concerns about _________ to you.”
When we give our cares to God, the devil will dangle the issue(s) in front of us, hoping that we’ll take those concerns from God through worrying. However, every time that issue enters our minds, instead of worrying, if we would give God praise for handling that situation for us, we’ll experience victory (Ps. 138:8).
If it’s the health of our children, financial issues, a problematic marriage, or the current inability to have children, give it to God to experience a miracle, divine wisdom, supernatural peace, or restoration. Give it to God and be at peace.
#give #it #to #God #be #worryfree
Psalms 54:4 NLT But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive!
God is our helper. When facing trials of any kind, we should look to God as our help. It shouldn’t initially be our accountant for financial troubles, a gun for safety reasons, or the government for economic problems. The help we need for any situation should come from God.
Once going to God, He may direct us to that accountant, counselor, or government representative to help us, but we did the right thing by going to Him first. God is our source. Those other avenues of help are just a resource He can use for us. And anyone else who comes our way to help was sent by God.
Always remember to go to God in times of trouble. He’ll give us the help we need in any situation.
#my #help #comes #from #the #Lord #God #Jesus
Psalms 53:1 NLT Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!
It’s foolish to say, “There is no God,” and yet, thousands of people say it every single day. Some people look at how mankind is towards one another and say, “There is no God.” Some look to their logic, and because they don’t see any physical evidence of Him, they don’t believe. Some people once believed, but were devastated because a prayer wasn’t answered, so they concluded, “There is no God.”
These are just some reasons why people don’t believe, but their unbelief has made them fools.
Psalms 53:2 NLT God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.
As we can see, a person is wise when they seek God. We seek God by spending time with Him in prayer, studying His word, and being vessels to accomplish His will in the earth.
Part of being vessels for God is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). The hope is to inspire fools to become wise by making Jesus Christ Lord and seeking God for the rest of their lives. By studying God’s word and seeking Him, the Holy Spirit will counter those arguments that have people saying, “There is no God.”
So, at your job, at the store, at the gym, and at the bank, as the Spirit leads, let’s turn fools into the wise.
#wisdom #is #found #in #God #Jesus #Christ #saves
Psalms 52:8 NLT But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.
As children of God who trust in the Lord, we’re supposed to be thriving. We shouldn’t be barely making it, suffering with bad health, and having nothing to pass on to our children. It doesn’t matter what country we’re from, our family dynamic, or our current financial status. We’re to be thriving.
The only thing that stops us from thriving is unbelief. If Satan can make us doubt God’s word, make us believe that we don’t deserve to thrive, or if he can keep us ignorant to the thriving promises of God, we won’t succeed. However, if we believe and meditate on God’s word about successful health, families, marriages, and finances, we’ll thrive in every area of our lives.
Make up your mind to thrive. As we can see, it’s God’s will, and just because everyone around you may be failing doesn’t mean that has to be you.
#thrive #in #Christ
Psalms 51:2 NLT Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.
For every born-again believer who is trying to live godly, if we sin, guilt will be present. It doesn’t matter if we ate too much or committed murder, guilt will accompany sin.
Some feel like guilt is necessary and good because it will help us stop sinning. However, Isaiah 53:5 Amplified says He was bruised for our guilt, and Hebrews 10:22 says our guilty consciences have been cleansed by Christ’s blood. These scriptures let us know God doesn’t want us having guilt. God’s goodness will lead a person to repentance (Romans 2:4).
So, although sin will accompany guilt, we don’t have to accept the guilt. Instead, we can receive and be grateful for His forgiveness, our righteousness, and our holiness (1 John 1:9).
Don’t let a slip up ruin your day, week, or month. If we sin, confess it, simultaneously receive the forgiveness that was made available through Jesus Christ, and move on. God doesn’t get any glory from our guilt. Guilt only negatively impacts our faith and relationship with God.
#purified #cleansed #free #through #Christ #Jesus
Psalms 50:23 NLT But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.
If we want to honor God, give thanks. It’s that simple. Give thanks for all the wonderful things He’s done.
Give thanks for the breath we breathe, give thanks for our children, and give thanks for the place we reside. If we would just look around, we’ll see there are numerous reasons to give thanks.
It’s truly a sacrifice to give thanks when things aren’t idyllic. We may have been in a car accident, but we give thanks that we’re still alive. We may have been laid off, but we give thanks that all of our needs are met (Phil. 4:19). Our children may be misbehaving in school, but we thank God that the seed of the righteous is delivered (Prov. 11:21).
In every situation, to honor God, give thanks.
#give #thanks #God #is #worthy
Psalms 49:15 NLT But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude
This life will end for everyone. Money and medication can’t save us. It doesn’t matter how much we work out or eat right. This life will end.
But for the believer (those who believe that Jesus Christ died for our sin), we have a promise of eternal life. In fact, believers are currently experiencing eternal life. David had to wait on Jesus to be snatched out of the grave, but we don’t. Believers will never die.
So don’t be afraid of transitioning to heaven or be too upset when a believing loved one transitions to heaven. We all will still be alive, enjoying ourselves with our heavenly Father.
#perfect #eternity #heaven #receive #Jesus
Psalms 48:9 NLT O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.
Periodically, we should meditate on God’s love for us. How do we do that? We get in a quiet place and think of all the ways He loves us. It could be in a room, on our way to work, or on a walk.
The first place we see God’s love for us is in His word. We can go in His word and see the love He provided through Jesus Christ. Every sacrifice Jesus made was out of His love for us. While we’re in His word, read about His promises. Every promise God has for us is based on His love for us.
Secondly, we can experience God’s love by reflecting on all that He’s done in our lives. We can reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and all the benefits that come with our salvation. We can recall the way He healed our bodies, the joy that He’s made available, the miracles He performed, and His faithfulness. Every good thing we have and every good memory is an example of God’s love.
Finally, we can focus on and be grateful for His love that is shown through the people surrounding us. It could be our parents, spouses, good friends, or children. When we think of the way they love us, that’s His love flowing through them.
Meditating on God’s love keeps us grateful and keeps our minds in a positive place. When we truly know how much God loves us, we can be encouraged for tomorrow.
#receive #Love #God
Psalms 47:3 GNBUK He gave us victory over the peoples; He made us rule over the nations.
God gives us victory over our all our enemies. David was speaking of natural enemies, but for us, through Jesus, we have the victory over all our enemies. This includes rulers of darkness as well as the people who allow themselves to be vessels for rulers of darkness (Luke 10:19; Eph. 6:12).
We don’t have to be worried about the devil or anyone he’s using taking our lives, our health, our peace, or our money. He’ll try to take these things, but when we understand and act on our authority and the victory we have over him, he’ll run away (James 4:7).
Praise God for the victory we have in Christ Jesus. Through Christ Jesus, we’ll be a champion forever.
#victory #through #Christ #Jesus #forever #champions
Psalms 46:7 NLT The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
Two times in this chapter, it says, “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us” (v.7, v. 11). When God mentions something twice in scripture, we should pay twice as much attention to what He’s saying.
God is with us. For all of us new covenant believers, God is in us. Not only is He with and in us, He is our fortress. That means He protects us. We wouldn’t have nearly as much stress, worry, or depression if we had a true understanding that God is and will always be with us.
Having a revelation that God is with us will alleviate those things that could cause us stress, like the health and safety of our children, our finances, and “uncertainties” about our future. We can give those concerns to Him and let Him handle it (Psalms 138:8).
Don’t go through life forgetting that God is with you. He sees everything you’re going through, and He has a solution to every problem. Trust Him.
#God #is #with #us
Psalms 45:7 NLT You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
God loves justice or righteousness, and He hates evil. He doesn’t hate the person doing evil. He hates evil acts.
What is evil? Anything that’s opposite of God’s nature and God’s word. Most of us would agree that murder and rape are evil. However, in Numbers 13:32, spreading fear and unbelief are evil too.
Get in God’s word and find out what’s approved of God and focus on doing that. When we do what God said (in context), we won’t do evil.
#honor #God
Psalms 44:1 NLT O God, we have heard it with our own ears— our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago:
Imagine a 7 year old walking in a room seeing their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins going one at a time telling their story about the amazing things God has done for them. After hearing all those stories, how inspired would that 7 year old be to trust in God for themselves?
That 7 year old would understand the faithfulness of God and the unwavering faith and patience they need to experience a miracle for themselves. Our testimony is one of the ways we can motivate the next generation.
Don’t stop talking about all that God is doing. Even if it seems little. Tell your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews all the wonderful things God has done. This will inspire them to trust God for themselves.
#share #your #story #God #is #faithful
Psalms 43:4 NLT There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!
God should be the source of our joy. Our joy should not be built on our spouse, our children, our careers, our finances, or the lack of problems in our lives. Our joy should come from God.
So many people attach their joy to the absence of problems. They wait for everything to be just right to have joy. We don’t have to wait. It’s a choice to have joy every day.
In the midst of problems, we can still have joy. To have joy, we must look past the problems and see a bigger God. Think about how He’s handled problems in the past and expect Him to do it again. Focus on the positive things that He’s currently manifesting. Read what He’s promised in His word regarding the situation and expect it to come to pass.
Allow our Father to be the center of our joy.
#have #joy #in #Christ
Psalms 42:11 NLT Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God!
When things aren’t going well in our health, marriages, finances, or at work, there’s a temptation to be discouraged or depressed.
When discouragement and depression knock, don’t answer. Instead, let’s focus our attention on God, put our hope in Him, and give Him praise.
Putting our hope in God and giving Him praise is a choice we’ll have to make if we want to keep discouragement and depression from barging in. We’ll have to put our hope in God and praise Him while crying, when we don’t feel like it, and when everything within our flesh is saying, “How will this help?”
Don’t sit in discouragement and depression waiting for the situation to get better. Get out of that and force yourself to put your hope in God and praise Him in advance for favorable outcomes.
#praise #God #anyway
Psalms 41:1-3 NLT Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
We live in a society where we’re taught to get all we can and keep it for ourselves. Very few people are consistently kind to the poor. We know it’s a good thing to help, but most of us don’t position ourselves to really help them. We limit our finances to ourselves and to our loved ones, and our lives are too busy to take a day to serve them.
God understood that people would have a hard time helping the poor, which is why He put a few promised perks in His word that would encourage kindness.
As we can see, those who are kind to the poor can expect joy, to be rescued from trouble, protection, prosperity, and restoration of health. Any time we help the poor, we can be in faith for these things to happen for us.
Help the poor to spread kindness and to represent the Kingdom of God, but if not, understand that you’re passing up these promised perks.
Graced To Do God's Will 